Facebook. Skype. Snapchat. Viber. Google. Kik. What’s App.
Other than being the world’s top keywords searched online, all the apps listed above are the few out of the many millions used to make global connections. Free calling, video sharing, and what not—the days of buying calling cards at your local gas station are over. No more calling collect. No more having to pay a large price for calling overseas. Being able to connect with your family and friends over the ocean has never been easier. Well, that statement is only plausible if they have a smartphone, or tablet. We can go even further and say the internet s a crucial element as well.
“ But who doesn’t have internet access?”
According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, two percent of AMERICANS do not have at home internet access—which is roughly about 6,278,000 people. On top of that 1 out of 3 people do not have mobile internet access. This is quite a shocker if you think about it, but remember, we haven’t even touched global numbers yet. With the world’s population near 7.2 Billion and only 39% of that number having access to at-home internet—the number of non-users is quite large. I’m talking about 4.3 Billion large.
“Fine. But everyone has a smart phone.”
Not entirely true. Although smartphone adoption has continually increased in a faced-paced rate—only 1.75 Billion people in this world own a smartphone. Those living in low-income households, states, or countries with widespread rural populations and vast terrains are less likely to own and use a smartphone only for sole purpose of not being able to afford one. Who’s to blame them? 800USD for a brand new GSM unlocked Iphone 5S or Samsung Galaxy S5—to some people, that’s close to their monthly pay check. Let’s not forget the carrier or mobile-card fees, taxes, and possible overages. Owning a smartphone can be pricy—and possibly not worth it.
This can leave you in a lose-lose situation:
(1) Buy a smartphone and live in a box or (2) Don’t buy a smartphone and you won’t be able to call your grandmother in Mongolia to see how she’s doing. It could also be the other way around where your grandmother from Mongolia wants to contact you but she cannot afford to do so. Although the situations are exaggerated a bit, they are more than likely to be true. Yes, you can go out and buy a GSM unlocked Nokia Lumia smartphone for 100 USD, and have money to spare—but given how technologically advanced we’ve become, there has to be another way?
Lately Spreadtrum, a brand partnering up with Firefox OS smartphones, announced their plans on releasing unlocked smartphones with the popular browsing system for a targeted price of 25 USD. This is not only good news, but also GREAT news to those who need a phone, but don’t want to commit to losing an arm and a leg for one. With the platform including WiFi, EDGE, and OS necessities needed to download apps and keep in touch with family overseas, this smartphone will be a major leg up in emerging markets.
But if you prefer not to wait—BLU Products, a phone manufacture in Florida, sells a line of smartphones that are equal to the quality and specs of the latest Samsung device for a fraction of the cost. Their BLU Dash Jr. line of phones, also equipped with WiFi, Duel Sims, and Android OS, are available for a starting price of just under 50 USD.
If only ALL smartphones were under the 50 USD range—that way we can provide 5.45 Billion people a way to connect to their significant other overseas for free via Viber or Skype. At least it’s a start. All that’s left now is to provide internet or a WiFi hotspot for the remaining 4.3 Billion people on this earth. It’s getting there. Before it was a thought, now it’s a possibility—the ability to talk to anyone in the whole world with just one device.
Miraculous isn’t it?
